The End has Come

The Final Ear of the Year

 It is that time of year when the locusts are out, the nights are cool and we turn our thoughts to important things like football and eventually harvest.  One of the things that is also bittersweet about this time of year is that sweet corn consumption has sadly come to an end.

This summer we had the opportunity to try out some sweet corn from Monsanto call Obsession II.  I discussed it earlier here (http://bit.ly/NM0Op4) and the advantages it gives anyone who grows sweet corn either as a business or for personal consumption.  The great thing about it, is that we definitely consumed it this summer.

Back when we planted it, we started in late April and finished the last of it in early June.  This allowed us to have about a 6 week period to enjoy the sweet and juicy goodness.  My family was elated with the how excellent the sweet corn was and how relatively free of worms it was as well. Was it 100% free of worms? No but the technology built into the seed allowed it to be very near 100% clean.  Also, our fields stayed clean of weeds which is always a plus for plant health and water consumption also gives us bragging rights when comparing our patches to the neighbors.  (It is always fun to have bragging rights at the local watering hole)

The “cooling” tubs

One of the most enjoyable things we do with out sweet corn is we get together with our neighbor across the section and “put up” sweet corn for the winter.  This is not only the final stages of utilizing our sweet corn but will also determine how well the crop actually did for the year.  What you need to understand is that my family is that research and number oriented group that HAS to determine and figure out everything.  We have a running idea of how many ears it will take to fill a quart sized bag to the predetermined amount of cups of corn we want in them.  Last year it was roughly 7 ears.  This year it was 4.5.  One of the major reasons was that there was very little “wasted” corn and that we did not have to cut off a couple of inches per ear because of bug damage.  This allows us to either end up with a lot more corn to enjoy over the winter or that we do not need as many ears harvested to maintain the number of bags we had last year. (Yes we are nerds)

Shucking the corn

Our process of putting of sweet corn takes a lot of help.  From picking the ears to shucking the ears to cooking and cooling the ears to removing the kernels from the ears and finally bagging.  Start to finish was about a 7 hour process.  It would’ve been shorter but we had trouble getting the cooking pots we use every year.  I hope some of these pictures will portray what goes on and some of the fun the kids have as well.

After our first year of growing and eating Obsession II sweet corn, I would say it was a success.  I heard from others how sweet it was.  We were able to eat every ear we picked.  This type of technology to keep the ears cleaner and the fields cleaner really shows how beneficial it can be, not only for sweet corn grown in a garden but also for the corn we raise to feed to livestock or that gets processed into corn chips or corn flakes.  The next goal will be to get technologically enhanced popcorn to make your movie theater experience even more enjoyable.

FUN WAS HAD BY ALL!!!

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The water is flowing

This year on Hunnicutt Farms has been dry. Not the devastating drought dry but dry enough that irrigation has been going on sporadically for a month in the area. Farmers are watering corn, soybeans and seed corn.

The same is true for our Obsession II sweet corn. This is our crop that I baby. Yes it doesn’t bring in any income but the reward of smiles on my family’s face is payment enough.

So yesterday I used the tractor and hiller to create a ditch to run water down. After I got done, my cousin’s hired man set out the garden hose and the watering contraption that my cousin built. Slowly but surely water started traveling down the ditch I made.

I can’t wait to enjoy this patch of sweet corn. My family was able to try some a couple weeks ago when Monsanto graciously sent us a sample to tease our tastebuds for what we will have in a few short weeks.

I can taste the juices already.

Butter, Salt and Juicy Goodness

On the farm the most important crop that we raise is definitely our sweet corn. We make no money from it but it is the crop that brings the most smiles or sadness (if there is none), especially in my household. Having a meal in the middle of the summer with butter,salt and corn juice running down your face brings smiles to many faces.

This is the crop that gets babied in the farm. It gets planted on time and multiple times per season. (Can’t run out). It gets watered and fertilized just right. But there have been challenges in raising it…bug control and weed control. These two things will ruin the crop. Too many weeds not only limits yield but makes your sweet corn patch the laughingstock of the neighborhood. And bugs will gross out the females when they open up an ear to cook it.

However these shall no longer be a problem here on Hunnicutt Farms. With our new Obsession variety from Monsanto we now have an easier way to control both weeds and bugs. With the Roundup Ready trait I can apply the same weed control that I use on my corn fields and my city neighbors use around their yard. With the traits to protect against bugs I can now keep my sweet corn from getting those nasty little creatures that turn a beautiful ear into some disgusting wasteland. This will allow for ears with the possibility of more juicy goodness.

I cannot wait to plant this so come this summer my family can enjoy some of the cleanest and, hopefully, juiciest sweet corn that has ever come from Hunnicutt Farms.